


on the run

by iampeterparker



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Angst, Anxiety, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Irondad, New York City, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter-centric, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sokovia Accords, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 22:53:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15399312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iampeterparker/pseuds/iampeterparker
Summary: He didn’t sign up for this. He didn’t sign up for anything, actually. That’s why he was pulled into this mess in the first place. Signing the Sokovia Accords wasn’t exactly on Peter Parker’s to-do list, nor did he intend to sign it. He probably should have thought of that before he fought by Tony Stark’s side, drawing unwanted attention to himself.**RATED MATURE DUE TO A SCHOOL SHOOTING. If that is a sensitive topic, I recommend skipping Chapter Four.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey pals this is my first time writing sooo yeah. welcome. have fun. also btw i might change the title it's either gonna stay as pursuit or im gonna change it to on the run. we'll see.
> 
> song for chapter one (its lofi and i don’t think headphones would be a good idea for this song? idk whatever u wanna do fam) —
> 
> https://soundcloud.com/weirdinside/no-more-happy-endings-1
> 
> idk how to add links so uhh if anyone wants to teach me that that would be cool thanks

**VIGILANTE**

 

“You have to tell him eventually, you know. Before he finds out the wrong way.”

 

“I know, I know.” He sighed, obviously itching to change the subject. “The kid, he- he’s smart. Did the right thing when I asked him to join the crew. It was wrong of me to ask him that. I realize that now. He’s staying on the ground, helping out the little people. He wanted that. The way that the Accords treats enhanced individuals is inhumane. It’s crazy. We can’t make him sign it. Not like this.”

 

“And we won’t make him. We should have read it more carefully. Should’ve expected this. But we didn’t know that they would pull a stunt like this. It’s not our fault, Tony, but it happened. Now we have to protect the kid before they try to go after him.” Rhodey walked around the room, keeping his hand on the table to help keep his balance. Tony avoided eye contact, listening to the mechanical whir that came from each one of his steps. He stopped behind Tony’s chair and leaned against it for support in fear of his paralyzed legs failing him. He looked down at the page that was open in front of Tony, skimming the pages. His eyes paused at the sight of one section. The one that they had missed earlier. Tony bore his eyes into for hours, hoping that it would disappear somehow. It was the section that mattered the most to Tony, regardless of the fact that it didn’t apply to him.

 

  * __‘Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.__



_\- Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations._

_\- Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks._

_\- Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.’_

He sighed and pushed the Accords away from Tony, sliding it across the table. Tony had been staring at the book for hours, wondering how he could have missed something so important. The worst of it was that it was only a small segment within a long list of inhumane laws and regulations for enhanced individuals. They never seemed important until now. Tony thought he was doing the right thing when he signed, and had no idea about Ross’s plans. While the Sokovia Accords were created for the safety of citizens through the regulation of the Avengers, they also made more laws to control those who worked outside of the Avengers initiative - _vigilantes_ . The laws made sense at first, until they met a dorky fifteen year old highschool student from Queens who worked outside of the law as a _hobby_ , right after he finished days worth of homework in just a few hours.

“I messed up, didn’t I?” Tony looked up at Rhodey, leaning back in his chair. “Signing the Accords, fighting with Steve, all of it.”

Rhodey sat down and looked at Tony firmly. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for something that was out of your control. Steve refused to tell us what was happening at the time and Secretary Ross is not the dude we thought he was. Not your fault. We didn’t have all the informatio-”

“I should’ve seen it coming-”

“The fineprints and the minutiae- none of us saw it coming.” Rhodey rose his voice slightly. “Not even Rogers knew about this. You tried to revise it and request changes. We did everything, but Ross set us up good and-”

“And now he’s bringing the kid into this too-” Tony said, cutting Rhodey off once again. He leaned forward, pressing his elbows into his knees and burying his face into the palms of his hands. He never shared how he felt about the spider vigilante with anyone except for Rhodes. No one knew his true identity, including his age, but Rhodey knew the new hero was young and needed protection. Of course, Tony was the first one to take on the role of becoming his mentor. Unfortunately, that failed. Thaddeus Ross had plans of his own.

“Out of all of the Avengers that are left, he is the only one who didn’t sign it, Tones. We can use that to our advantage.”

“He’s just a kid.”

“A smart one. Brave, too. Sometimes I think he can protect himself better than we can protect him.” He smiles at the thought of the kid, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “We can get through this. You’ll keep him safe while we’re at it, too. I know it.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh God, _oh God_ ,” Peter muttered to himself. His heart thudded violently in his chest and blood pounded in his ears. His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip, nails digging into his palms.

 

 _This can’t be happening._ He thought to himself.

 

“Dude, seriously, calm down. You can do this. It’s really not that big of a deal.” Ned said, fastening his seat belt in the passenger seat.

 

“I- I can’t, Ned! I can’t even _start_ the car!” Peter dropped his forehead onto the top of the steering wheel, loosening his grip. After tragically destroying Flash’s car on Homecoming night, he had been dreading the day in which he was expected to sit in front of the wheel again.

 

“You’re _Spider-man_ , Peter. You could literally do anything.”

 

“Except driving.”

 

“Come on, dude, everyone has their license except for you. Besides, it’s just a parking lot! There’s no one here. You’re not going onto the road just yet. Baby steps, remember?”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Peter sighed. “I got this. It’s gonna be fine, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“Right.”

 

“You gotta turn on the engine, dude.”

 

“Right. Turning on the engine.” As Peter was about to turn the key, his phone began to ring. He grabbed his phone immediately.

 

“No texting and driving, we’ve been over this!”

 

Peter’s face lit up as he lifted the phone screen, reading the texts that appeared. “It’s Happy. I was supposed to go to the Avengers compound today and he’s picking me up early, now. He said Mr. Stark needed to talk to me in person about something important. I guess we can’t practice driving after all.” He shrugged, celebrating internally.

 

“Woah, Tony Stark wants to talk to you? Personally? That’s awesome.” Ned said, switching seats with Peter.

 

“I know.” He tried to stop himself from grinning, but couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t talked to Mr. Stark personally since the day he asked him to join the Avengers. They usually contacted each other through Happy, and occasionally he’d call Peter through Karen to check up on him.

 

“But you guys are probably like, best friends by now. Especially after he asked you to join the Avengers.”

 

“You know I rejected his offer, right?”

 

“Yeah, and it still confuses me. Wasn’t that, like, what you’ve always wanted?”

“It _was_ what I wanted.” Peter corrected. “That changed, I guess. It’s complicated.” He looked down nervously. It really was complicated. The Avengers dealt with bigger problems that he just wasn’t ready for. They didn’t have time to deal with people like the Vulture- villains that terrorize citizens for their own benefit. New York needs heroes like Spider-man. Not that Peter considered himself a hero.

 

“I’ll never understand you.” Ned groaned, driving back to Peter’s apartment.

 

The rest of the ride back consisted of Ned grilling Peter about his Spider-man ventures. Peter was glad that he was finally able to share his secret with someone, especially with a close friend like Ned who understood him. The two of them had been friends forever, and Peter wouldn’t have wanted to share his secret with anyone else. Unfortunately, someone else did know. And that someone was Aunt May.

 

While May never admitted it, she always worried. Constantly. Peter could see it, and it hurt him to see her like that. She texted him throughout the day to check up on him and stayed up at night waiting for him to return from patrolling, even if it meant waiting until 5 AM. She usually passed out before that time, though, so Peter made it his responsibility each night to bring her a blanket to the couch where she snored quietly, TV remote in hand and all. May was the only family he had left, and regardless of how close they were, he always felt like a burden ever since the spider bite. His increased metabolism meant that they needed to buy much more food than usual, and money had always been tight for them. Peter couldn’t go to the doctor, either, because he feared that they’d notice his enhanced senses or his abnormal DNA. That was May’s biggest concern. She’d freak out at the slightest cough or sniffle from Peter, fearing that he might be sick. She failed to understand, however, that Peter couldn’t _get_ sick after the bite had happened. He was different now. He didn’t have the heart to explain it to her anymore than he already had. He was already a burden.

 

Peter sighed and pushed away any negative thoughts that were building up inside of him. He opened the car window and dipped his head outside slightly, taking a deep breathe. He had to skip patrolling tonight to speak with Mr. Stark, so this was the closest he could get to feeling the cold, New York air brush against his face as he swings around the streets. It was always tough knowing that he had to skip patrolling, even if it was just for one night. Crime doesn’t stop when Spider-man takes a break. It keeps happening. Peter pulled back and closed the window as Ned finally drove through Sunnyside and stopped by Peter’s apartment complex.

 

“Thanks, dude.” Peter said, opening the car door.

 

“Anytime. I’ll see you at AcaDec practice tomorrow, alright? You gotta tell me _everything_ about your meeting with Mr. Stark.”

 

“Well, I might not be there. You never know what he might be calling me for.”

 

“Wait.. Are you saying that he might be calling you for a.. a _mission_?”

 

Peter smiled, hopping out of the car. “I dunno, Ned. Could be anything.” He hung his backpack around his right shoulder, reaching for the car door. “See you later.” He shuts the door and waves.

 

“Awesome.” Ned muttered, waving back and driving away.

 

Peter entered his apartment, dropping his backpack next to the couch. "Hey, May, ‘you home y-" He pauses, noticing his aunt staring at the TV with a serious expression. She turns up the volume when she notices him come in. Ross was standing behind a podium on screen, a stern look plastered onto his face as he calmly responded to any question that was thrown at him.

 

_"'The Accords are, in fact, not a violation of human rights. They were-'_

_'Secretary Ross!' A reporter called out._

_'Secretary Ross will not be answering any further quest-' A man in a suit said, once he started to notice how chaotic the situation was getting._

_'Ever since the release of the Accords, nothing has been done about vigilantes in New York, even though none of them have signed' The reporter cut in again. She was determined to ask her question before Ross made his exit.”_

 

Peter sat down next to his aunt, watching the screen nervously as a reporter was shown reading off of a notebook. Secretary Ross was holding a press conference, and the room was filled with reporters who were shouting and pushing their ways to the front, trying to get Ross to answer their questions. Apparently, Stark had made a negative comment about the Accords, even though he had already signed it. The media had been going crazy ever since, questioning whether he's been working with Steve Rogers and the other ex-Avengers in secret. A few pages of the documents had been released as well, and Peter never really read them. Mr. Stark had never asked him to sign it, so it never really occurred to him until now. He thought the Accords applied to the Avengers initiative directly, but he was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

 

"' _and now, suddenly Tony Stark is found with_ the _Spider-Man himself.’ She said, causing Ross to stop walking towards the exit. He returned to the podium slowly, interested. ‘Do you have any thoughts about the connection between Tony Stark's change in attitude towards the Accords and his relation to Spider-Man? Is it possible that Stark might be telling the truth about having no contact with Captain America, and maybe, just maybe, he might have actually become soft for some small, part-time hero in red spandex?’_

_’I’d like to follow up on that,’ Said another reporter. ‘If that’s true, that would mean that Spider-Man has enhanced abilities. Therefore, should Spider-Man really be considered a vigilante? Just another mutant-human that needs to be controlled?’'_

 

 

May turned to look at Peter. Her expression softened when she saw his taut expression. 

 

 _Vigilante. Mutant._  

The two words reverberated in Peters mind. He never thought of himself that way. Peter just wanted to help New York. He never had any bad intentions. He never viewed himself as anything but human. 

 

 _Ross rested his hands on the podium and leaned forward to speak into the microphone once again. The crowd of reporters had finally quieted down. “The Spider-Man works outside of the law. He thinks that he is saving the lives of citizens by swinging around tall buildings and putting on a mask without any regards to legal authority. In reality, people like him are a threat to society. Whether Tony Stark is involved in his criminal acts is no concern to me. Spider-man is dangerous. He split a ferry in half and crashed a plane into the city. The amount of lives that were at risk that week-‘ Ross looked down, faking a hurt look on his face. He sighed. ‘Enough is enough. Spider-Man needs to be taken down before it’s too late. The lives of innocent people cannot be lost because one individual refuses to turn himself in.’ He looks up at the camera, almost as if he was talking_ directly _to Peter. “Unlike other vigilants, he has been given two options. Sign the Accords, or deal with the consequences.’ Ross straightened his posture and adjusted his tie. ‘No further questions.’ The crowd of reporters erupted as Ross turned to leave.”_

 

Peter grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. That’s enough for today. He stood up and walked towards his room.

 

”Peter-“ May reached out to stop him, but he shut the door behind him before she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a general idea as to where i’m going with this, i’m not entirely sure yet tho. hope you like it! comment suggestions and criticism and stuff. thanks!
> 
> new edit to notes added on 7/30/18: 
> 
> ok so i haven’t updated in a few days but trust me i will soon it’s just that i finally decided on a plot and i’m writing out an entire structure for it and my ideas and stuff and once that’s complete i’ll update! the update should be done soon


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i hope this chapter is good i really have no idea but i’m trying to lay a base for the story before i start to develop it i hope it’s not going too slow but trust me there will be action and other fun stuff soon!! also i introduced a new character but keep in mind that this fic is based off of Peter Parker/Spider-Man entirely (including some irondad lol) so like don’t worry the avengers aren’t gonna come and take the spotlight away from my beautiful child peter parker - he is the main focus!! ALSO at his fic has NOTHING to do with infinity war cuz my brain refuses to accept it lmao and yeah i hope this is good i’ll stop talking bye have fun
> 
>    
> EDIT: ok i’ve reread this chapter and the others i’ve written and this is my least favorite chapter so i’ll let you know when i’ve rewritten this one cuz it definitely needs to be fixed 
> 
> chapter song - https://youtu.be/W7Yv3tBnC1M

**THE INTERN**

Tony dropped his tools out of frustration, groaning. The lab was in complete darkness, besides the soft blue light emitting from the screens that surrounded him. He wiped the sweat that was forming on his forehead, leaving a streak of oil in its place. He was a wreck, trying to calm his nerves by tinkering in his lab, but he couldn’t keep his hands steady, which was very unlike him. He had been working on the iron-spider suit in case something came up that required the kid to wear it. As weird as Tony felt admitting it, Peter was really starting to grow on Tony. The kid was a genius, and he was _much_ stronger than Tony originally thought. Peter was strong-willed, yet naive. Courageous, yet witty. Sensitive, yet _daring_ . Plus, he had the strength to lift anything up to 10 _tons_ (both literally _and_ figuratively), and possibly even more than that. Parker carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he put everyone else first (Of course, Tony would never say all of that to Pete’s face. Or anyone, for that matter. He didn’t need the kids ego to inflate anymore than it already had).

 

That’s why he asked him to join the Avengers in the first place. Now, however, Tony didn’t want the kid to join. After everything that had been going on recently with Ross and the Accords, it felt wrong to ask him to join. There was too much that Peter didn’t know about yet, and he just wasn’t ready, either. Too much change was brought upon the group of heroes, especially after half of the team was lost. The Avengers were no longer the protectors of Earth, they were just a pawn in a game of politics, controlled by the UN.

 

Regardless of the fact that neither Tony or Peter wanted Spider-Man to be a part of what was left of the Avengers, he still made changes to the suit anyways. Tony had been considering giving it to him behind Ross’s back, since the suit that the kid had currently didn’t feel _safe_. Tony would wake up in a cold sweat, trembling violently after having nightmares of the kid experiencing exactly what Tony had in his past: kidnappings, death threats, aliens, the whole shebang. Every nightmare ended with the same result; Tony working on the iron-spider suit in the dead of night with shaking hands.

 

He had been through enough trauma, and he _definitely_ did not want an immature, pubescent science geek to go through the same thing either. So, Tony did what just about any genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist would do for their crazy mutant spider mentee.

 

Build a suit to protect him.

 

And of course, Tony had already done that. Now, one might ask: what’s next? The answer is - _ding ding ding_ , you got it! - build a _better_ suit. The truth, though, is that Peter didn’t really need most of the gizmos and gadgets that the suit had to offer. He had told Tony that countless times, but it still felt comforting to know that Tony’s tech was there to protect the kid when he can’t protect himself. The nightmares that haunted him at night wouldn’t let him sleep until he found a way to prevent them from coming true. So, that’s how Tony ended up in the lab at night.

 

Today, however, things were different. Usually he was alone in the lab, with nothing but FRIDAY, DUM-E, and way too much coffee to accompany him. An unexpected visitor had arrived tonight, and Tony had no idea what to make of it.

 

“So, let me get this straight,” Tony looks down at his tools, “enormous green rage monster decides to fall out of the sky and land on Earth after participating in spaces version of WWE for two years on a planet that happens to be a version of some selfish, insecure asshole’s fantasy land and you were able to escape after doing _what_? I’m still kind of lost on that part.”

 

“After Thor-” Bruce rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, not really wanting to think about the past two years of his life at all, let alone explain it to Tony Stark whilst wearing his clothes, “After Thor destroyed his home in order to save the people of Asgard.”

 

“Alright, I don’t think I want to know anything else about- whatever happened up there.” Tony sighed, noticing Bruce’s discomfort. “But seriously, Banner, your timing really couldn’t have been any worse. Also, love the outfit. It’s a real upgrade from the old wool coats and dress shirt style that you had going on there. Anyways, I’ll uh- I’ll have FRIDAY update you on everything you’ve missed on the last two years and-”

 

“Boss, Secretary Thaddeus Ross is calling. He says its urgent.” Friday cuts in.

 

“And that’s my cue to leave.”

 

“What’s Ross doing calling you at this time of night?”

 

“Well, you’re one to talk, considering you just happened to randomly show up at my place at this time of night.”

 

“Uh, yeah, sorry I’ll just let you do your work and uh-.”

 

“Yeah, that won’t be necessary. You can stay here and watch the show, or not. Whatever you want. Fri, answer the call.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Ross, how’ve you been? You up for some late night small talk, or something? Because I really have no idea what other reason you’d have to call.” Tony asks, once FRIDAY answers.

 

“I think you know why I’m calling, Stark.” Ross responds, “You’ve been avoiding my calls _all day_ . The spider menace has been causing… _problems_ again, and considering your close relationship-”

 

“I’m sorry, did you just say close relationship? I’m currently in a somewhat healthy relationship, actually. It’s a real Romeo and Juliet type of thing, or at least I think so- minus the part where they, y’know, kill themselves. Ms. Potts- ever heard of her?”

 

“You’re rambling, Stark. I’m not calling to listen to your bickering, I’m making an offer on behalf of the government about the vigilante Spider-Man.”

 

“Right, lay it on me.”

 

“As you know, we can’t tolerate his criminal acts any longer than we already have. I’m afraid we may have to take action soon.”

 

“I’m gonna have to stop you right there,” Tony interrupts again, “why are you telling me this?”

 

“Did you really think we wouldn’t figure out about your connections to Spider-Man? His suit is obviously made of Stark Industries Technology, which violates the-”

 

“Sokovia Accords, etcetera, etcetera. Do you really think, I - _the Tony Stark_ \- would waste my tech on a spandex suit for some random spider-thing?”

 

“Yes, Stark, I really do think that, and so do many others. Are _you_ actually implying that whoever is under the mask is able to create something as complex as the spider suit? I’ve seen what it does, and there is no way anyone other than you could have made that.”

 

“If anyone can make tech like that, it’s Spider-Man. The kid is a real genius, if you ask me.”

 

“The kid.” Ross repeats, “So he’s young, then. You’ve seen him.”

 

Bruce, who was listening intently the entire time, almost notices Stark panic slightly, but he manages to cover it up quickly.

 

“I’m in my late 40’s, Ross, I’d honestly call anyone with a name as stupid as Spider-Man a kid. It isn’t exactly the most creative name.”

 

“And _Iron Man_ is?” Ross sighed, “Look, if you aren’t willing to help us bring him down the easy way, we may have to resort to _other_ methods.”

 

“No, no, no, you are _not_ forcing _anyone_ into anything. I know _exactly_ what game you’re playing at, and I am not going to take part in it. Do you think you’ll figure out the spiderlings identity without my help?”

 

“You don’t have a choice. You signed the accords. You agreed to the terms-”

 

“I did not agree to treating non-Avengers like _animals_ , Ross.”

 

“Alright, so maybe you won’t help, but I know you have other people on your side that may be more than willing to share information, given the right circumstances. Your intern, for example.” Ross pauses, “Peter Parker, correct?”

 

“Ross I swear if you even _consider_ talking to my kid I will-”

 

“You will- what, Stark? Your threats are empty. You and I both know the limits that were put upon you and your teammates after signing the Accords.”

 

Tony stayed silent. Ross had full control over him, whether he liked it or not. “I’ll talk to Spider-Man myself, see how it goes.” He ends the call and looks at Bruce, who could see the concern on his face. Tony, however, could see how confused Bruce was.

 

“You have a lot to catch up on, Dr. Banner.” Tony sighed.

 

* * *

 

_Vzzzt. Vzzzt._

_Vzzzt. Vzzzt._

_Vzz_ _zzzzz-_

 

Peter tossed his homework aside and reached for his phone. The room was dimly lit as the rising sunlight shone across Peter’s desk. He had been sitting in his room all night, not really wanting to talk to May. He felt slightly guilty for leaving her in the dark when it came to Spider-Man business, but he had no choice. Keeping her safe was priority, and it always has been. If she got too involved, she would stress out, causing him to stress out _even more_ than he already was. She had no reason to worry about him, anyways. He could _handle_ it. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood to leave his room (or talk to anyone, for that matter) after watching the news. That’s why Peter had been hiding in his room all night, taking his time on homework for once. Regardless of his wish to be alone, however, he had been checking his phone repeatedly to see if anyone had contacted him. The sun had finally risen and Peter turned off his alarm which was _supposed_ to wake him up, but he hadn’t slept at all. Happy wanted to take Peter to the compound last night but he never showed up, and he still hadn’t contacted him.

 

Peter forced himself to exit his room and follow the smell of Aunt May’s breakfast. He could hear the sound of bacon sizzling on the pan behind the kitchen walls and her humming to the tune of the radio which buzzed in the background.

 

“Morning, May,” He yawned as he sat at the table.

 

“Morning,” She set the food down in front of him and kissed his forehead. “You feeking okay?” She question while cupping his cheek into her hand. “Happy called this morning. He offered to take you to school.”

 

Peter paused as he reached to pick up his fork, but shrugged after a moment. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m alright. That’s nice of him.”

 

“Is anything wrong?” She said, looking at him with worry. “He said you two needed to have a talk. It’s not about the news, is it?”

 

“I uh, no, I don’t think so. It’s probably just stuff about the suit.” Peter replied, really unsure of what Happy would actually want to talk about with him. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” He adds, mostly trying to reassure himself rather than May. Peter picks up his pace in eating breakfast at the sound of a knock at the door. May opens it and greets Happy. Although they hadn’t known each other for a long time, May and Happy were close. She was more than happy (no pun intended) to know that _someone_ other than Stark (who she was still wary about trusting) and herself were watching after Peter. He helped her calm down after figuring out Peter’s secret, and since then they had been talking regularly, since Tony wasn’t easy to reach all the time. Regardless, Tony still decided to take more responsibility of Peter rather than having Happy watch him all the time after the Vulture incident.

 

Peter stood up from his chair, shaking any thoughts about the vulture away and picked up his bag. He hugged his aunt goodbye, and exited the apartment with Happy.

 

“Hey, Hap. Where’ve you been? I’ve been waiting for a pretty long time. Not that that’s a problem, or anything. Just worried, I guess. What’s up?” He says, entering the elevator after him.

 

“Sorry, kid. Something unexpected came up. You weren’t up all night waiting, were you?” He raises an eyebrow.

 

“Uh- uh, no, of course not.” Peter looks down, avoiding eye contact.

 

“Yeah, okay. You seen the news yet?”

 

Peter hesitated before answering. “Uh, yeah- yeah I saw the news.” He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “What’s up with that, anyways?” He added, trying his best to sound neutral about the situation.

 

”It’s just politics, Pete,” Happy sighed, and Peter could _hear_ the stress in his voice, yet he continued as if he had been through situations like this a million times before (which is probably true, considering how many times Tony had been unable to keep his mouth shut in front of the media). “Nothing too serious. Don’t let anything you hear get to your head, alright? I’m sure this’ll all blow over in a few days, and once it does, you can get back to your webbing, or whatever else it is you do.”

 

“Woah, woah, wait. Are you saying I can’t go patrolling until this is over? How long will that take?” Peter asks as they step outside and walk towards the Audi that’s parked at the front of the apartment building.

 

“Shouldn’t be too long. Maybe a week or so.” Happy opens and holds the door open for Peter and waits for him to sit down.

 

“A week?” Peter gaped, sitting in the back and fastening his seat belt.

 

There was _no_ way he could stop spider-ing for that long. Criminals are probably _expecting_ Spider-Man to stop showing up after the broadcast of Ross’s press conference. It’s the perfect time for them to come out and do… whatever bad guys do at times like this. _Bad stuff_.

 

“Don’t you have anything better to do? Maybe focus on school or girls for once. Anything other than fighting bad guys in spandex. Y’know, things that _normal_ kids do?” Happy questions as he sits at the front and starts the car.

 

“I uh.. I guess?”

 

“That’s the spirit. Speaking of normal things,” Happy paused to roll up all of the windows and begin driving. “we need to talk. People are starting to get a bit curious about your internship with Stark. It’s getting a bit complicated and in order to better protect your identity, Tony wants you to be seen walking to the tower everyday for your ‘internship.’”

 

“The tower? I thought he moved everything to the compound.”

 

“Well, yeah, but he’s still in the process of selling it. So, in that time, you’ll be going to the tower. Anyways, I already planned out your trip. At 2:45 when your school gets out, you’ll have exactly eight minutes to get a sandwich from that one place you like-“

 

“Wait, how did you know-“

 

“And then you’ll have seven minutes to make it onto the green line subway, which’ll take about 44 minutes. You’ll get off at 6th Avenue and 42nd street followed by a two to three minute walk to the tower.”

 

“Woah, you really put a lot of effort into that. And you came all the way here from the compound just to _drive_ me to school. You didn’t have to do that, y’know, you could’ve just called.”

 

“Actually, I couldn’t. We have reasons to believe that Ross might have access to our phone calls and voicemails, so don’t go spilling your secret on the phone with your friend, Fred.”

 

“It’s Ned.”

 

“Ted, whatever.” Happy stopped the car in front of Midtown School of Science and Technology. “We’re here, get out.”

 

Peter climbed out of the car and slings one of his backpack straps onto his shoulder and closes the door. Happy opens the window.

 

“I’ll see you at the internship tonight, kid. Don’t be late.”

 

“Alright, uh, I’ll see you-“ Peter pauses as Happy drives away “-there.” He sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep, i added bruce because science bros r cool and he will be needed soon :) anywaysss idk how i feel about this chapter but hopefully it’s okay but trust me it’s gonna get real good soon (i hope). so yeah, leave criticism in the comments. go ahead and say what you want- “you suck” comments are very much appreciated as long as there’s feedback as to why i suck alrighty thanks bye


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 'fake' internship begins.
> 
> chapter song -
> 
> https://youtu.be/4SquaBCGtVk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so im super sorry that ive been taking a while to update, life hit me real hard. also now that school started im probably gonna take more time to update cuz ive got some hard classes. im never abandoning this fic tho so dont worry
> 
> alsoooo im not liking the chapters ive posted so far cuz theyre not very eventful buT DONT WORRY stuff is aboutta go down soon if u know what i mean so it definitely will get better hopefulllyyyy so get ready... ill try to get the next chapter out asap so we can get this story starteeddd
> 
> also feedback is greatly appreciated thanks bye

**THE INTERNSHIP**

 

The warm afternoon sunlight beamed through the mullioned glass panes, spilling onto Peter’s desk beside the window. Peter gently tapped his pencil against his notebook repeatedly, mind buzzing. His teachers voice was a dull hum behind his thoughts, and the other little sounds that his enhanced hearing picked up.

 

Paying attention in class had become difficult after the spider bite, especially during sixth period - AP Chemistry. Considering that it was the last period of the day and an advanced placement class which involved piles of busy work, it made sense as to why Peter couldn’t pay attention. His hatred for the class, however, was another thing altogether. Ever since they got a new teacher, there was something about this class that had bothered Peter, regardless of the fact that chemistry was one of his many favorite subjects. Their science teacher had been Ms. Warren in the beginning of the year - she was strict yet students were content in her class - but around the second semester, when Peter returned from Berlin, Mrs. Sarkis stood in her place. His spidey sense sent a faint tingle up his spine at the sight of her as he entered the classroom everyday.

 

Ned had been concerned when Peter told him about his spidey sense, but he shrugged it off, claiming that it was probably nothing, and if it was, Peter wouldn’t be able to do anything about it unless she did something bad. His senses were probably acting because of how much everyone hated her. She taught terribly and called out on almost every student for doing _nothing_ wrong. The worst part of it (and another bias reason as to why Peter’s spidey sense might be acting up) was that she loved Flash, and hated Peter. So, when Flash bothered him, Peter got in trouble. Not the other way around.

 

It _sucked_.

 

Peters lack of attention was especially persistent today, however, after his conversation with Happy that morning (and because of his lack of sleep last night, but Peter would rather not think about that). For someone who was named after such a jovial emotion, he wasn’t exactly the happiest bearer of news. Either Ross had something really bad planned for Spider-Man, or Tony was just taking precautionary measures.

 

It was _obviously_ the former, and Peter was not planning on sitting aside and waiting out whatever was to happen.

 

Mr. Stark _finally_ knows what Peter is capable of, so why doesn’t he trust him with this now? If Secretary Ross is after Spider-Man, Spider-Man is what he’s gonna get. The problem is, though, is that he tends not to get involved in politics. Mr. Stark must be trying to keep it that way by holding Spider-Man in the dark for a week, but a week is a long time.

 

Peter doesn’t have that kind of time.

 

Crime never stops, so Spider-Man doesn’t stop either. A few late night patrols shouldn’t hurt anyone. No one will have to know.

 

Ross made it seem as if Spider-Man was doing something wrong by not turning himself in, though. As if something _bad_ would happen if he didn’t reveal his identity to the world. Ross was _threatening_ Spider-Man.

 

‘ _Sign the Accords, or deal with the consequences.’_ Peter’s pencil snapped beneath his trembling fingers as the words echoed in his mind.

 

Ross threatened him. What did it mean?

 

Peter was pulled out of his thoughts as the class bell blared in his sensitive ears, causing him to wince. He pushed the feeling aside, however, feeling a rush of excitement as he shoved his pencil and notebook into his backpack and ran for the door, eager to start his first day at the.. _fake_ Stark internship. Missing the subway and being late on the first day wasn’t something he looked forward to.

 

Peter ignored the warning from his spider senses that screamed at him to stop (a common occurrence at school) and continued fast-walking until his face met the ground. Flash had stuck out his leg in front of Peter, tripping him. He glared at Flash, but immediately scrambled to stand up and dust himself off after noticing some sniggers from other students around him. His face flushed pink in embarrassment as he glanced around the room awkwardly, making eye contact with the one person in the room who had a straight face. Michelle Jones eyed him, leaving Peter to feel more uncomfortable rather than embarrassed.

 

He never understood her.

 

He turned to leave the room before he could embarrass himself anymore than he had in the heat of the moment. Peter’s excitement was long forgotten; his attention faded and he failed to notice Michelle reach out to talk to him before he left the classroom. Peter pulled his phone out of his pocket, sliding his fingers against the cracked glass to unlock it. His eyes widened at the time: _2:50_. Five minutes off of Happy’s schedule. Peter shoved the front doors open, rushing down the school steps.

 

“Hey, Mr. Delmar,” Peter greeted once he reached the deli.

 

“Parker,” Delmar’s face spread in a welcoming smile. Peter couldn’t help but smile in return. “The usual? Squished down flat?” He questioned, already punching numbers into the cash register.

 

“Yeah, thanks.” Peter beamed. He bounced slightly by the counter, tapping his fingers restlessly.

 

“You in a rush today?”

 

“Mhm,” he responded, “Stark internship today. First day, too.”

 

“Wow,” He handed Peter his sandwich. “You’re going places, kid.”

 

“Oh, I dunno,” Peter shook his head, smiling slightly. He had no idea why he was getting so excited again about the internship. It was never supposed to be real, and it still wasn’t. This was just a sham. A cover-up for Spider-Man, and a reason for Ross to back off and not get any suspicions about Peter Parker, because Peter Parker is just a nobody. “Thank you, though. Bye!”

 

Peter was lucky enough to make it to the subway on time. He huffed out a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind him and managed to find an empty seat. The rest of the way to the tower he nibbled on his sandwich, watching the people around him. The transit was busy during this time and people were littered all over the subway, swaying as the metro made slow, bumpy turns upon the railing. Peter took in his surroundings, noticing kids bouncing up and down in seats, people on phones, adults holding briefcases, individuals, families, friends, groups, and all types of different people that shared one similarity in Peter’s mind. They were all the people of New York, and most importantly, the people of Queens. People he had never met stood right in front of Peter’s eyes and he felt responsible for them. Spider-Man felt responsible for them. Spider-Man always looked out for the little guy. Peter loved his home and the people who lived in it.

 

He pulled out an unopened bag of candy from his backpack, only to notice a kid, no more than six or seven years old, looking at him curiously. He smiled at her and held out the bag of candy. It probably wasn’t the best idea, considering that he was a _stranger_ offering _candy_ to a _kid_ , but Peter couldn’t help himself. She shook her head shyly, but took the bag after Peter insisted. The small girl exited the subway while holding the hem of her mothers shirt in her fist at the next stop after murmuring a small ‘thank you’ to Peter.

 

Peter Parker was not supposed to be like Spider-Man - they were too different - but their love for New York and its people would always be the same.

 

Once he reached his stop, Peter hopped out of the transit and climbed up the steps. He observed the city of Manhattan, taking everything in as hundreds of rushing people surrounded him in the street. He passed honking cars that were stuck in traffic and food carts with long lines as he headed towards one of the taller buildings of Manhattan - the _ex_ -Avengers Tower. Now, it was just a Stark Tower Complex that was up for sale. Plus all the cool tech that hadn’t been taken out yet (which is cool. Totally not a big deal). There was a small chance it would be sold soon, though, considering how picky Tony was when it came to picking buyers.

 

Peter stopped at the front entrance, feeling anxious and excited at the sight of the tower. He would _never_ get tired of this. He took a deep breath, mumbled a few words of confidence to himself, and walked inside. The once hectic lobby filled with bright lights, bundles of security and the frenzied employees of the Stark Tower was now dark and empty; a calm environment. Few people wandered the building’s lobby - mostly just realtors taking photos of the area - and Peter easily spotted Happy staring at his watch by the elevator. The man looked up the moment the clock read _2:47_ , noticing Peter, and pressed the button to call the elevator.

 

As they went up the elevator, Happy informed him that Tony didn’t think Peter would have much time to work on an _actual_ , internship, so he could sit in the lab and work on some homework. While Tony was right about Peter’s homework, he was hoping to actually work on something in the lab _with_ Tony. It was a silly thought, Peter realized, considering he was _the_ Tony Stark and Peter was.. himself. He wasn’t coming to the tower as Spider-Man. So, Peter nodded hesitantly at Happy and awkwardly walked into Tony’s lab.

 

The lab was the same as it always has been to Peter.

 

 _Amazing_.

 

Tony was surrounded by screens, making his face glow blue as he read notes from a notebook. The news was playing softly in the background on one of the screens while the other screens were covered in designs and sketches for iron man suits and other tech that Peter didn’t recognize. An untouched pile of papers lay next to him, most probably related to Stark Industries, a company that he no longer wanted part in.

 

Tony smiled as Peter greeted him and he sat at a table near Tony’s work area and did homework silently. Fun. They had a short conversation about Ross, which mostly consisted of Tony telling Peter “don’t worry,” “the adults have it under control” and “don’t do anything stupid.” _Stupid_? When has Peter ever done anything stupid?

…

Okay, so maybe Peter doesn’t have the _best_ reputation when it came to making smart decisions, but that stuff is in the _past_. He’s not like that _anymore_. He figured that Tony thought Peter was responsible after he asked him to join the Avengers, but now he was proven wrong. Tony _should_ be able to trust Peter, so why doesn’t he?

 

Peter sat in silence as Tony worked. He had a stern look on his face as his thoughts began to drift away from his homework. A picture of Secretary Ross caught his eye, and his attention drifted to the news channel that spoke about him.

 

_“-statement about the vigilante of Queens, otherwise known as the Spider-Man. He has yet to respond to Secretary Ross’s offer, and it seems as though the Secretary will not be backing down anytime soon until the so-called “wall-crawler” reveals his identity. The real question still remains, however, as Spider-Man fans and critics have been debating online about whether he is a hero or a villain. Now, joining us today is Jonah Jameson, publisher and editor in-chief from the Daily Bugle here to speak about this topic.”_

 

_The news reporter shuffles a stack of papers as Jameson appears on screen next to her._

 

_“Mr. Jameson, thank you for joining us today. We’re here to ask you about Spider-Man and his affiliati-”_

 

_“The Spider-Man is a menace.” The man interrupts, anger written all over his face. “Tell me something, Deborah-”_

 

Tony looks up, now paying attention to the TV. He shares a worried glance with Peter before continuing to watch.

 

_“It’s Debbonaire-” The reporter attempts to correct, seemingly annoyed._

 

_“While so-called “heroes” claim to protect us,” Jameson continues, not caring to correct himself over the news reporters name “Spider-Man fails to claim anything. All he does is swing around buildings, leaving backpacks all over the city filled with who-knows-what, and the worst of all, he lures crazy, high class villains to attack and terrorize innocent citizens. If you think I’m wrong, answer me this-”_

 

_“Sir, we can only have you on for a limited amount of time, so if you could just answer our que-”_

 

_“Before Spider-Man, did you see any crazy villains flying around with electronic wings, tearing apart ferries and selling illegal alien weaponry? No, I didn’t think so.”_

 

_“Mr. Jameson, please focus on the topi-”_

 

_“Spider-Man must be put away! He’s a public menace, a vigilante, a criminal! If you want more information on that, he’ll be on the front page of tomorrow’s article.”_

 

_The news reporters face covers the entire screen now as Jameson goes offline._

 

“Fri, turn it down, will ya’? I’m working.” Tony says nonchalantly, pushing the holographic screen that played the news to the other side of his table. FRIDAY muted the TV and Peter turns his attention away from the screen. Tony knew that Spider-Man was getting a bad reputation because of the media, but he didn’t pay attention to how the kid behind the mask was feeling about it. He rests his palms onto the table, pushing all of his weight onto his arms as he sighs, shaking his head at nothing. He turns to look at Peter, who’s holding his pencil so tightly that it snaps in half, _again_ (he really needs to stop doing that). The boy looks up at Tony, probably to make sure that he didn’t see the pencil, and quickly throws it away. He digs into his backpack to find a new one.

 

“Hey, Pete,” Tony smiled slightly as Peter perked up at the mentioning of his name, looking at Stark with a gleam of eagerness and curiosity in his eyes. “Why don’t you come here and help me out?”

 

“You-” Peter pauses, seemingly trying to absorb the words that had just come out of Tony’s mouth. “You want me to help you?”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Tony pats the stool next to him.

 

“Woah.”

 

“I don’t have all day, kid, get over here.”

 

“Oh, right, sorry,” Peter stutters, stumbling out of his seat and rushing to the stool that stood next to Tony. “So, uh, what are you working on?”

 

“Designs for Mark 48.” Tony says, enlarging an image of the suits blueprint with the tips of his fingers on the screen. “I’m considering it a prototype for Mark 50. Trying out something new. We can look at that later, though. I was hoping to get some of your input on-” He pulls in a new image, which reveals a new design for the Iron Spider suit. “I’ve been uh, working on some new updates for the suit.”

 

“I thought that suit was tied to the Avengers, Mr. Stark I can’t take that-”

 

“No, no, the _design_ was patented to the Avengers Initiative, but the tech is all Stark Industries. I’ve got a friend from Hell’s Kitchen who has some semi-bullet proof material that can be used to replace your… spandex, if I can figure out a way to install my tech without ruining the lining. The rest is all on me.”

 

“Wow, thank you Mr. Stark, but I think what I have now is alright.”

 

“You sure about that?”

 

“Yeah, but- but we can work on Karen and the suits abilities, actually, I have some ideas-”

 

“Karen?”

 

“The AI you put in my suit, I named her Karen. Is that dumb? Sorry I- I can change it.”

 

Tony opened his mouth to question, but stopped himself and shook his head. “Alright, sure. Fine by me, actually. Quick question, though, _when_ and _how_ did you get rid of the Training Wheels Protocol?”

 

Peter’s expression twisted into fear, and he looked around frantically, unsure of what to say. “I-I- uh..”

 

“You, you, uh..” Tony mocks, “You what? You’re not getting out of this conversation, that’s what.”

 

Peter sighs in defeat. “It was right before I climbed the Washington Monument in D.C. My friend from Academic Decathlon hacked the suit on his laptop the night before in our hotel.”

 

Tony stared at him, unblinking.

 

“You mad?” Peter asks hesitantly.

 

“Your pal hacked _my_ suit in a _hotel_?”

 

“... Yeah.”

 

“What’s his name?”

 

“What?”

 

“Your friend. What’s his name?”

 

“He’s not in trouble is he?”

 

“What? No. I need a name, kid. Don’t make me look through all the Baby Monitor Protocol footage to figure it out.”

 

“Ned! His name is Ned.” Peter quickly responds.

 

“Ned.” Tony mumbled the name to himself, making a mental reminder to talk to this kid one day. “Is he the only one who knows about your identity?”

 

“Yeah, I think.”

 

“You think? No, no, no. You gotta be more careful about this, kid, especially after the Toomes thing.”

 

“I am careful! I just..” Peter shook his head. “Yeah, Ned is the only one who knows.”

 

“And you trust him?”

 

“Yes. Completely.”

 

“Good. Now, take a look at this.” Tony double taps onto the design of the suit and reveals the 576 web combinations, as well as other tactical options. And _plenty_ of safety features, but to Tony, there was always room for more. “These are your web shooter combinations, and here I added some more combat modes and-“

 

“Mr. Stark?”

 

“Save your questions for the end, I was kind of on a roll there.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“No, no, too late. Ask away.”

 

“Well, it’s not really a question it’s just I uh,” Peter rubs the back of his neck, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. “All of this is great, I’m so thankful, really. But it’s just- I mean I’m not complaining or anything it’s all cool- you know what? Nevermind it’s not importa-“

 

“You’re rambling. Just say what you need to say, I don’t bite.”

 

“I,” Peter hesitates before speaking again. “I don’t _need_ any of this stuff.”

 

Tony deadpans at him before pulling his sunglasses off (why is he even wearing those? they’re _indoors_ ) and looks directly at the kid. “You don’t _need_ any of this? As in safety measures. You don’t care about your safety.” Tony scoffs. “Of course you don’t. If this is some sort of a superhero-guilt-complex thing, I’m not havin-“

 

“Wait, no it’s not like that, seriously. It’s just, these powers that I have can do most of the stuff that the suit does. Sometimes all the screens and the buttons are just.. Distracting. Not- not that your tech is distracting! I mean like, my senses, they increase like crazy because of adrenaline and stuff and-“

 

“Okay.”

 

“What? Okay?”

 

“Okay, yeah, I get it. You’ve got enhanced senses, right? Let’s talk about those.” Tony never considered Peter’s perspective, he always just went for what he thought would be safe.

 

“You- You wanna know about my powers?”

 

Tony held back a cringe. “Let’s not call it that. How about abilities? Hm? Much better. Tell me about your abilities. Go.”

 

“Where should I start?”

 

“Anywhere.”

 

“Anywhere?”

 

“Anywhere.”

 

“So do you want like, a list? Or a story of how it happened? I probably don’t even know most of my powers, since some of them just showed up randomly, so I guess story would make more sense but you probably don’t wanna hear that so-“

 

“Story. Start from the source of,” Tony pauses, realizing he never really knew what caused Peter to be this way. Was he born with it? Woke up randomly? _Experimented_ on? He hoped not, but that seemed highly unlikely, but more possible than-

 

“A radioactive spider bit me on a school field trip.”

 

“A _what_?”

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s how things went from there. For days, Peter and Tony bickered and joked with each other as they worked on multiple projects, occasionally losing track of time after ‘accidentally’ spending the night in the lab. Peter had explained Tony every detail of his abilities, from sticking to walls and super strength to ‘spidey-senses’ and enhanced hearing. When Tony didn’t understand something he never hesitated to ask more questions (which Peter was surprised about, considering he wasn’t embarrassed about asking questions regardless of his title as a genius) and dive deeper into the roots of his abilities. He also never asked to experiment - though he seemed tempted to ask - and Peter was more than relieved about that.

 

Peter attended the internship everyday and multitasked with homework and helping Tony out as much as he could before leaving to go ‘spider-ing,’ as Tony called it. The thought of Ross chasing after Spider-Man had eventually left his mind. Tony made him feel safe, and his hours spent at the internship also reminded him how much time was being wasted on _not_ saving lives. Although it was fake, the internship was starting to feel real, and Peter loved every second of it, but he couldn’t let it distract him from his duties as Spider-Man.

 

Tony, however, thought differently.

 

He had been watching Spider-Man’s every move more than usual, monitoring Peter’s location at all times, and making sure to get an update on anything Ross-related online. The man had been acting ‘sketchy,’ as Peter had so millenialistically put it, and Tony wasn’t having it. He couldn’t get Ross out of his mind. The kid was better than Tony in every way, and he was really starting to grow on him after the internship. Originally, the internship began so that Ross - who was probably watching their every move - would believe that Peter really was an average kid. The truth was, though, was that Peter _wasn’t_ an average kid, with or without the spider bite.

 

So, yeah, Tony cared about him.

 

Big deal.

 

He was going to do everything possible to keep him safe, and if that means inviting the kid over for a fake internship everyday, so be it (the internship was paid now, too, which has nothing to do with Peter’s financial problems and everything to do with trying to convince Ross that the internship is real since he has access to Stark Industries records, _obviously_. Well, that’s what the kid thinks, anyways).

 

So, yeah, Tony taught Peter some valuable Stark lessons and surprisingly Peter taught Tony some stuff too. He couldn’t, however, figure out how to make web fluid. That was a complicated and messy process that he was going to stay away from. Peter tried to hide a smile after realizing that _Tony Stark couldn’t figure something out_ , but failed. Sure, the kid was smarter than Tony when it came to _some_ things, but Tony now has a bunch of embarrassing stories that Peter regretfully shared with him regarding his transition into Spider-Man, which was perfect blackmail.

 

Not that he’d actually use it to ruin the kids reputation or anything, maybe just use it to embarrass him in front his aunt. Something like that. No harm there.

 

During these past few days, Tony finally got to know Peter Parker rather than Spider-Man. He was a genius, which made sense considering he got a scholarship into that science and tech school, and was a lot less awkward and a lot more fun to be around once he gets comfortable. Tony tried to show his appreciation for Peter himself rather than his other half by involving him in more projects, lab tests, all of it. He was a fast learner, and the genius couldn’t help but smile at him when he figured stuff out on his own. Tony would ruffle his hair and announce a “Good job, kid” before looking away, acting as if he couldn’t see the kids face turn red. He wondered if Howard would’ve done the same if he was actually around and sober when he was young. Or if he cared.

 

Peter’s personal life was different. He’d lived with his aunt and uncle since his parents died at a young age, so he barely remembers them, unlike Tony. Luckily his Aunt May and Uncle Ben were caring enough to keep him and take care of him. Peter did the same for them, and after his uncle passed he began taking more responsibility, also unlike Tony. Peter was amazing. He only had one real friend, and he was slowly becoming closer with this other girl named Michelle (though, he had some strange stories about her). He was always smart and responsible but the bite overwhelmingly changed his views of the world. He became smarter and a faster thinker, which is how he was able to create the web fluid under the desk in his Chemistry Lab at school without anyone noticing. His transition into Spider-Man sounded _extremely_ painful, yet he managed to hide it from his aunt and uncle for the sake of _saving money_.

 

He always put others above himself, even when fighting criminals. Apparently Peter refused to kill anyone or hurt them too badly, hence the reason for webbing them up and leaving them for the cops. Tony was surprised when Peter revealed that he purposely pulls his punches in every fight in order to prevent himself from killing them He took mental notes on everything that Peter told him about, ensuring to help him with any and all problems that the kid needed help with, including future training. He needs it. He focused on defense rather than offense, and his weird ‘spider senses’ help him with that. So far, he’s never killed anyone.

 

So, naturally, Tony respects Peter.

 

A lot.

 

And of course, naturally, when Tony was adding some final touches to the Spider Suit as he waited for Peter to arrive and noticed the clock read _4:00 PM,_ he freaked out a little.

 

He shook his head, wondering why Pete was late. Either he had Academic Decathlon practice, missed the subway, or got caught up with Spider-Man-related business (Tony tried to keep track of his activities. All of them). Peter usually would’ve contacted Tony about being late if that was the case, though. But he didn’t. So Tony waited.

 

He called Peter but received no answer.

 

He tried getting Karen to push the call through to his suit but it was overridden.

 

“FRIDAY, track him.”

 

“Peter’s tracker had been removed a while ago, sir.”

 

“ _Removed_?” Tony’s head dropped. “How long ago?”

 

“When Ned Leeds hacked into the suit.”

 

Tony sighed out of relief. That meant that no one had gotten a hold of him or the suit. Probably. “Keep calling him. Find anything you can on him.”

 

“Already did.”

 

“And?”

 

“I’m afraid there’s been an attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliff hangeerrrr.. also most probably none of u will be able to predict what happeneddd
> 
> **EDIT (wrote this edit on 11/15/18): hey i’m super sorry for not updating, a quarter of the next chapter is completed but i’m having trouble finishing it because of school, i’ve gotta study for SATs and stuff too but hopefully this thanksgiving i’ll have time to write it, sorry for taking sm time.
> 
> ***EDIT (12/16/18): so.. remember when i said i’ll get the chapter out by thanksgiving break? yeah.. that didn’t happen... i’m sorryyyy but i will try try try to get out the next chapter before the end of this month!! i’ll continue writing once finals are over (which are killing me, btw, wish me luck cuz imma need it). thanks for being patienttt and once i get the next chapter out i’m gonna go back and kinda rewrite the first 3 chapters just cuz i think the writing style should be.. better.. idk how to explain it but ya u don’t have to reread it or anything once i do that just thought i’d let u know ok bye i love u also p.s. drop some comments cuz i want to talk to u guys


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: SCHOOL SHOOTING. Please avoid this whole chapter if that is a sensitive topic for you. If you would like a summary regarding the important points within this chapter due to inability to reading it, let me know.

**THE ATTACK ON MIDTOWN TECH**

 

Peter smiled to himself slightly as he stared down at the notes in front of him as the class waited for Mrs. Sarkis to arrive. Flash entered the room at the sound of the bell, smacking the back of Peter’s head with a grin on his face as he marched to his desk proudly.

 

“‘Sup, Penis Parker,” His grin widened as snickers are heard from the back of the class, while others rolled their eyes but did nothing else. Peter shook his head, but said nothing.

 

_It’s not worth fighting back._

 

_He couldn’t do it then, so he shouldn’t now._

 

It wasn’t like Flash was a _real_ threat, anyways. He never hurt Peter physically, it was all just talk and sometimes light hazing. Regardless, Peter found himself wiping his clammy hands on the hem of his shirt nervously, ignoring the gaze of other students. He never cared about Flash’s taunting, but today hadn’t been his day. Something was off.

 

 _Click_.

 

 _Click_.

 

 _Click_.

 

Peter winced as everything seemed to get louder. He could hear conversations throughout the room, the squeaking of chairs from the classroom across the hall, Flash’s pen obnoxiously being _clicked_ nonstop; it overwhelmed him, but he kept listening. _What was he listening for?_

 

“Are you kidding? I got a B on that test-”

 

 _Click_.

 

“Y’know, if the teacher doesn’t come within the first 15 minutes of class we can leave-”

 

He sank into his seat.

 

“Anyways, so we were at the party last weekend and _-_ ”

 

 _Click_ . _Click._

 

“I didn’t do the homework, gimme yours-”

 

A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Peter’s face.

 

“What’d you get for number four?”

 

_Click. Click. Clickclickclickclickclick-_

 

“Hey, Parker, you good?”

 

His heart thudded against his chest, surely someone else could hear it other than himself.

 

Blood pounded in his ears.

 

Everything slowed down.

 

_Thump Thump. Thump Thump. Thumpthumpthump-_

 

Peter pushed away from the desk aggressively, the legs of the chair violently skidding against the ground, and stood up as a flare of electricity travels up his spine, signaling the danger that was to come.

 

“Everyone get _down_!”

 

_BANG._

 

Screams filled the room.

 

The deafening sound rang through the halls of the school.

 

Followed by another.

 

And another.

 

They were distant at first, but they got closer each second.

 

Everyone was too panicked to notice or care that Peter somehow _knew_ the shots were coming before they did, nor did they seem to notice the indent in the floor that followed after he had shoved his chair back.

 

Students were frozen in fear while others dove for cover underneath the desks.

 

The room span as Peter looked around for something.

 

For a sign that this wasn’t happening.

 

For a way out of this.

 

For a hint that it was just a dream.

 

A _nightmare_.

 

He stopped as he noticed Michelle’s expression once their eyes met. Instead of panicking, she nodded at him and ran to the window and closed it shut. Peter rushed to her side and pulled the blinds down. Other students began to catch on and help board the window with desks, chairs, anything possible. Michelle turned to the door to close it before a hand grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

 

“Wait- I’m gonna go out. I’ll be right back.” Peter whispers.

 

“What the hell?” MJ whispered back harshly.

 

“Just trust me!” He ran out before closing the door behind him, not waiting for a response, heading for the bathroom door across the hall.

 

“What the- MJ where’s he going?” Flash asked, receiving. a worried look from Michelle. “That _selfish_ _prick_ \- move!” He pushed MJ aside before she could respond and ran out the door behind Peter. There was _no_ way Peter was going to leave the school campus and leave everyone behind like that. Flash was _pissed_.

 

Every door was locked. The windows were shut. It was dark. Silence filled the halls. Peter eyes widened at the sound of the door opening again behind him.

 

“Flash? Go back inside, now!” Peter barked. Flash seemed surprised at Peter’s change in attitude, but his expression was immediately replaced with anger.

 

_BANG._

 

“Parker what the hell-“

 

_BANG._

 

“I-If you’re trying to get out of here,” Flash continued, “I am too. I can’t believe you were just going to _leave_ everyone!” He replied, trembling. “No, _fuck_ this, I’m getting out of here _now_.”

 

“ _Leave_ ? Are you _that_ -” Peter’s head whips to the left at the sound of nearing footsteps. Peter slaps his hand onto Flash’s mouth, shoving him into the bathroom. Flash stumbled to the ground and stared at Peter in shock. “Stay here.” Peter went into a stall and locked it.

 

“You’re- you’re shitting me. Is now the time to take a piss, Peter? Oh my god, we’re gonna die-“

 

The stall door slams open.

 

“Shut _up_ \- shut _up!_ For once your life, Flash, please!”

 

Flash’s jaw dropped slightly. He stayed silent.

 

“Here’s what you’re gonna do, you hear me? You’re going to stay here. You’re not going to go anywhere else. You won’t say a _word_.”

 

He returned to the stall and Flash remained silent.

 

And right when Flash thought things couldn’t get any crazier, he saw _Spider-Man climbing out of Peter’s stall and onto the roof._ Spider-Man grabbed the air vent grill, the sound of metal creaking loudly beneath his fingers. He pulled it out of the wall and climbed in.

 

“Peter? Please tell me you’re in the stall. _Please_ tell me that wasn’t you.”

 

No response.

 

“ _Fuck_!” Flash yells, kicking the bathroom stall door followed by immediate regret as it swings back and hits his head.

 

 

Peter squeezed his way through the vents, and climbed out the other end. He backed into a corner to stay hidden and peeked down at the hallway below.

 

His spider senses screamed at him to _getawaygetawaygetawaygetaw a  y-_

 

There they were.

 

The _monster_ that decided to attack _his_ school.

 

And they were headed straight for his classroom.

 

“Karen, run facial recognition once I get a good look at ‘em.” He whispers to the A.I. Peter squinted his eyes, trying to identify what seems to be a kid, but he didn’t recognize him. Midtown Tech was a private school, so there weren’t many students. Everyone knew each other somewhat. Peter was sure he’d never seen this guy before, _ever_. His eyes were bloodshot and his expression was blank. His hoodie was up, covering most of his face. Peters eyes drifted down to the gun that his fingers were wrapped around tightly.

 

The kid reached for the door handle, wiggled it to check if it was locked, then tore the door out of its hinges with ease.

 

 _No Midtown Tech kid has_ that _kind of strength._

 

_Well, other than Peter, that is._

 

The students in the classroom cried at the sight of what seemed to be their doom. Peter jumped down and threw his wrist out in front of him, shooting a web at the intruders hand. He shot another web at the gun and yanked it away before launching himself at the attacker. The web attached to the gun retracted as he grabbed the weapon with his other hand and hits the butt of the gun against his head whilst sitting on his shoulders. The shooter grabbed Peter’s foot and threw him over his head, slamming him into the ground, cracking the tiles underneath him.

 

The screaming from the kids inside the class that followed wasn’t helping.

 

Before Peter could get up, the shooter slammed his foot onto his chest and pressed hard, pinning him down.

 

“Wh-who are you?” Peter choked out, trying to free himself as he attempted to lift the weight of the shooter that stood above him.

 

He grunts, giving no response. Peter lifts an arm and shoots a web at the shooters face and pulls with all his might, crying out in pain as he elbows the broken tile beneath him. The shooters head crashes down above him and lands on his back, allowing Peter to pin his hands down with web. The formula pours out of his web-shooters as Peter struggled to regain his breath.

 

“You’re not one to talk, huh?” He rasped.

 

The shooters arms strained underneath the webbing as he tried to pull his arms out.

 

Peter rolled his eyes. Sure, he was strong, but no one could break out of his-

 

He pulled his arms out of the webbing.

 

Well, technically the webbing still had his hands tied to the ground, but a chunk of the ground came out with it.

 

_Shit._

 

“What the hell?” Peter unintentionally thinks aloud as he jumps off the side of the wall and lands a kick into the dudes stomach, causing him to stumble backwards out of loss of balance. Peter thinks fast, immediately jumping on top of the shooter and pinning him down in response.

 

“Go, go, go, get out of here now!” Peter yells at the cowering students inside the classroom. His classmates run out of the room as fast as possible, clumsily tripping over each other in fear, rushing to exit the building.

 

Flash, who watched Peter fight the shooter besides the restroom door, was in shock. He couldn’t _breathe_ as he tried to comprehend the fact that _Peter Parker_ was his _Spider-Man._ Peter Parker was his _hero_ -

 

“Flash!” The boy was pulled out of his trance when he noticed Spide- Peter standing above a the now webbed up shooter, yelling Flash’s name. “Get out of here. Now.” He replied sternly. Flash could now see a side of Peter that he had never believed existed within him. He nodded dumbly - no words would come out of his hung open mouth - and for the first time ever, he listened to Peter.

 

Spider-Man ignores the thought and tells Karen to contact the police and notify them that the attacker has been contained.

 

He looks at the face of shooter, taking notice that he seems to be around Peter’s age, but he doesn’t recognize him.

_________________________________________________

 

“We’re taking care of this, you can’t just take over this situation-”

 

“You didn’t hear? 17th precinct was given direct orders to keep the area clear. Your team can _go home_ , alright?”

 

“Since when?”

 

“Just move aside, Chief Jones-”

 

“My _daughter_ is in there!” Deputy Chief Jones shoves the cop aside, ducking under the police tape to search the swarm of students surrounding Midtown Tech.

 

“Hey, _hey!_ ”

 

“Let him go.” Another cop says. As they watch Chief Jones rush into the crowd of kids surrounding ambulances, they fail to notice another student exit the building around a corner, making his way to his classmates that make up that crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“-Queens, Channel 7 News. It’s currently 6:27 PM on the scene at Midtown Highschool Science of Technology, and it has been approximately six hours since what we believe was a shooting caused by a Midtown Tech student. We are still unsure of the events that occurred as we were just allowed on campus and as you can see here, a majority of the students are still here, all being individually checked by doctors and nurses from ambulances and such. Families are surrounding the campus, still waiting for answers. Unfortunately we are currently unaware of any injuries or lives lost, however-”

 

Peter turned away from the vans crowded up behind police tape beside the campus, not wanting to listen to the news that was broadcasting their ‘ _situation_ .’ He kicked his feet back and forth while sitting at the back of an ambulance as he was being checked out. His body ached and he could feel bruises forming all over his body, but if the nurses saw anything they never questioned it, which made sense considering they were prioritizing getting the kids ( _Peter’s classmates_ ) with serious injuries to the nearest hospital as soon as they could. Students were slowly being excused to leave campus as the sun set, but no one felt that they had truly _left_.

 

The deafening sound of gunshots followed by the screams of their classmates wasn’t too easy to forget.

 

Once Peter was excused, he ducked under the police tape and walked past the news channel vans. He looked around for May, calling her on his cell.

 

“We now have a student here who has agreed to answer a few questions,” a news reporter says as Peter passes by. “and uh- thank you so much for your time, we understand how hard this must be for you. How are you feeling? I mean- I can’t imagine what must be going through your mind right now. Can you tell me your name?”

 

“J-Just a little shaken up. Thankfully I got out of there fast. And uh- My name is Flash. Flash Thompson.”

 

Peter lowered his phone. He couldn’t hear May’s voice over the sound of his heart beat.

 

“I had, uh-” Flash glanced at Peter, a serious expression on his face. “I had help.”

 

Peter’s fingers dug into the screen of his phone as he stared at Flash.

 

He wouldn’t.

 

 _He wouldn’t_.

 

“Help?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Could you elaborate?”

 

Flash’s eyes met Peter’s.

 

It was tempting to tell the whole story. Every detail about seeing _Peter Parker_ suit up into _the_ Spider-Man suit in the bathroom stall of Midtown Tech during a school shooting.

 

“Mr. Thompson?”

 

“Sorry, sorry- I-”

 

“No worries, we understand. Take your time.”

 

“Just my.. Friends and I. We made it out together right before he got too close to us.”

 

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

 

He tried to ignore the visible relief in Peter’s expression.

 

“He? So you got close enough to see him.”

 

Flash paused. “Yeah, I did.”

 

“Did you happen to recognize him as a student at Midtown?”

 

“I- I don’t know. Maybe. Possibly.”

 

Peter’s attention was pulled away from the broadcast when he felt May’s arms wrap around him in a tight hug.

 

“Peter? Peter are you okay? Oh my God-”

 

Peter hugged back, staring at the ground.

 

Flash lied to protect Peter.

 

“Come on, let’s talk at home. Happy’s waiting in the car.” May continued, pulling away from the hug.

 

“Happy?”

 

“He’s the one who picked me up from work. Tony knew about what happened, called me right when he found out.”

 

“You go ahead, I have to talk to someone.”

 

“Can’t it wait?” She asked, hesitant to leave his side.

 

“It’ll be fast, I promise.” Peter squeezed her hand in reassurance. May nodded in response, and Peter made his way to Flash, who completed his interview with the press.

 

“You didn’t tell them.” Peter said, facing Flash, who refused to make eye contact. His hair was sloppy, regardless of the layers of hair gel he must have used that morning, and eyes were puffy. His face remained expressionless.

 

“I wanted to.” Flash admitted without hesitation. “I just- I couldn’t.”

 

“Why?”

 

Flash looked up at Peter but said nothing. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

 

“It was dangerous. This.. This _thing_ that I do, it’s more than just putting on a suit and swinging around.”

 

“Does Ned know?”

 

“He sort of.. Found out.”

 

Flash runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “You can’t just keep this hidden.. I should have told them what _really_ happened. You think they’re not gonna figure it out? And when they do, we’ll all be in trouble. That kid came straight for our class. I bet he _knew_ who you were.”

 

“No one knows, okay? No one.” Peter lied, since he wasn’t sure himself. “You can’t tell anyone, Flash.”

 

“This is insane- _insane_.” He laughed, shaking his head again while backing away.

 

“Listen to me, Flash!” Peter grabbed his arm in a way that Flash never knew was possible, especially for _Peter Parker_ . “You can’t tell _anyone_ . Everyone I care about will become a _target_. Do you understand?”

 

Flash gawked at him.

 

“Do you understand?” Peter repeated.

 

“Y-Yes. I do.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Sarkis sat at her desk, door locked and windows covered, tapping her fingers against the table as she listened to the voice on the other side of her phone.

 

“Yes, sir, I’m aware of our problem.” She responds. “I also happened to notice that our ‘ _problem_ ’ was never seen entering the building.”

 

“What are you implying?” The voice questions.

 

“I think you know.”

 

The voice is silent for a beat before he continues. “The intern. I’m going to have to see him soon. Either he knows something that we don’t, or he isn’t who we think he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry sorry for taking so so long!!! at first i was just really busy and then i lost motivation, but after seeing the AMAZING spiderman far from home trailer, i noticed at the end they made flash a fan of spiderman and i was like damn i had that idea smh i better update my fic and then i went and finished this sooo lets all thank the trailer for not only making me cry and get super hyped but also for inspiring me to finish this chapter. i kept rewriting it because i didnt really like it that much and im still kinda eh about it but i hope u guys enjoyed. leave feedback in the comments pls thankkkssss


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